Rejected Chick

[Arztwolf]

Well it turns out my Silkie, Sponge, was sitting on two eggs. One hatched this morning and all hopes I had of her being a good mother vanished when I found a little grey ball of fluff screaming in the mud. I picked it up and took it back to the nest box. The first thing she did was peck it and then she pretended it didn't exist.

So now I'm raising a single chick, by itself, in the house. Hopefully the other egg will hatch and my little one will have a friend. I've scoured Craigslist and cannot find a single chick that is close enough in age (every thing is over a month old).

He/She is named "Smudge" and looks otherwise healthy. The pic was taken this morning when Smudge was sleeping on a heating bad. He is now very energetic and has a GREAT set of lungs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That happened to me this spring, a first time mom had no idea what the chick was and tossed it out and kept attacking in, thankfully I had other broodies and found another one who wanted it, hopefully your other egg will hatch.

 

[Arztwolf]

That happened to me this spring, a first time mom had no idea what the chick was and tossed it out and kept attacking in, thankfully I had other broodies and found another one who wanted it, hopefully your other egg will hatch.

What's strange is this hen is not a first time mom. For awhile I owned a pullet that was from her last clutch that she herself hatched out. I'm wondering if she is somehow not "in the mood" to raise chicks right now since it's almost winter.

I wish I had another broody hen, she is literally the only hen I own that has shown any broodyness.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I guess expect the unexpected, chickens seem to always have their own ideas. I've read some people use stuffed animals or feather dusters for single chicks if the other egg doesn't hatch, too bad it's so late in the season for small chick orders, good luck.

 

[ChickNanny13]

oldhenlikesdogs - That's what I did, a friend that breeds chickens called one day she has a single hatch (Lavender Orpington) asked it I could take it. I got a feather duster, had a stuffed toy, heating pad & mirror rigged in his box prior to getting the Silkie chick close in age. If I had to do it over, I'd not have gotten the Silkie chick. He was such a cry baby, Silver just ended up big brother but when they were 2 months old, Silver had enough. He started picking on Tiny whenever he'd squeak, Tiny went to a little girl that fell in love with him and Silver went back to the breeder & his own flock.

Hope your other egg hatched.